PARTICIPANT MEDIA’S TAKEPART.COM LAUNCHES ‘TASTEMAKERS’ CAMPAIGN SPOTLIGHTING TOP 100 U.S. BUSINESSES COMMITTED TO PROVIDING ‘FOOD DONE RIGHT’ JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The Company That Brought You Food, Inc. Publishes The Ultimate Guide To Local, Organic, Sustainable and Delicious Shops In Ten of America’s Most ‘Foodie’ Cities.

“I originally partnered with Participant Media on Food, Inc. because of their belief in creating change around the food issues we face in the U.S. as well as globally,” said Robert Kenner, Director of Food, Inc. “It’s been three and a half years since the film released and I’m thrilled to see they are still committed to its core values, telling the story, educating consumers and inspiring action.”

LOS ANGELES – Nov. 1, 2012 –TakePart.com, the digital publishing division of Participant Media (Food, Inc.), today announced its TakePart Tastemakers series devoted to spotlighting leading local businesses that are committed to bringing their communities “Food Done Right.” Selected in partnership with the nation’s leading food journalists, these local shops were chosen based on themes underscored in the hit 2008 documentary Food, Inc. – humane, homemade, organic, do-it-yourself, artisanal, locally sourced and sustainable.

As part of this campaign, TakePart is also launching key social initiatives designed to help people make better food choices and improve America’s food system as a whole. As an example, TakePart has joined forces with the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention, co-founded by Food, Inc.’s Barbara Kowalcyk, to host a petition urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to withdraw their proposal to speed up poultry processing lines. This proposal gives each inspector only one-third of a second to inspect each bird – raising both food safety and worker safety issues.

“As the digital publishing division of Participant Media, TakePart is committed to continually highlighting the issues raised in our films and providing consumers with the most relevant and qualified actions they can take to make a difference,” said Karina Kogan, General Manager of TakePart. “TakePart Tastemakers is a great example of our ongoing effort to engage and educate the public about our food system in a way that is both entertaining and actionable.”

Shops featured in the inaugural TakePart Tastemakers list were chosen based on proven leadership in providing thoughtful and healthier options to their community and were selected by prominent food writers such as James-Beard award-winning journalist Dara Grumdahl and Seattle Times restaurant critic Providence Cicero.

Each of the 100 businesses spanning across the 10 markets of Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and the Twin Cities also represent an alternative to big supermarket chains. Austin standouts include: